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Studies have demonstrated that neoliberal governance dismantles professionals' will to critique, counteracting efforts to improve quality by preventing professionals in all sectors of the labour market from grounding work in their professional convictions. Managing attempts at governance has therefore become an important professional competence. This paper investigates how higher education prepares students for work under neoliberal forms of control. How are they trained to analyse and describe the effects of governance and prepared to work with the standards, manuals and documentation that influence quality in their lines of work? 'Interruptive focus group conversations' were performed with students from various professional programmes at a Swedish university. Student reasoning about governance is explored using theories of governance and subjectification. The results demonstrate that students are aware of the ways in which their professions are governed, the need to conduct discretionary work, but do not have skills to deal with governance critically. This latitude for pedagogical intervention is underutilized.

This article deals with the microworld of the classroom, i.e., the imbedded, largely unconscious, close to invisible, and to an extent suppressed social processes in teaching. It includes some afterthoughts about a research project with the aim of understanding how the teacher–pupil relation is constructed in classroom interaction. Thomas Scheff's social psychological framework constituted the theoretical basis for the project. The main data were collected by means of video documentation and consist of a number of closely analysed episodes. The result indicates that nonverbal behaviour in classrooms, to a great extent, is constituted by an informal system of rules in which emotions play a crucial part. But it also reveals the existence of two dimensions in classroom interaction – one surface dimension and one micro dimension – that in significant measure stand in opposition to each other.

Teaching is today often described as a matter of adjusting to the individual lives of students. Building on the premises of three educational theories, mainly Martin Buber’s concept of‘inclusion’, the article aims to confront this idea and show how pedagogical attitude can be perceived from a relational perspective. A model is constructed in which pedagogical attitude is understood as three different types of teacher-student relationships: a) an asymmetric intersubjective relationship; b) an asymmetric subject-object relationship; and c) an asymmetric object-subject relationship. The article argues that a genuine pedagogical attitude is included in the first type. It is interpreted as a matter of experiencing from the student’s side of the relationship and, at the same time, taking a stand as a pedagogical subject. This interpretation differs from a widespread notion of pedagogical attitude according to which the teacher’s position tends to be diluted.

The expanding global discourse on education is built on the concept of individualism. One emerging direction in educational theory that challenges this discourse is relational pedagogy. This article aims to discuss some characteristic aspects of relational pedagogy, and thereby proposing a theoretical course in the field. By comparing Kenneth Gergen’s and Martin Buber’s relational conceptions, the article argues that relational pedagogy could/should be characterized by a dis-tinction between two fundamental types of relationships, tentatively labeled co-existence and co-operation. This distinction is proposed to be significant for relational pedagogy to become a trustworthy alternative not only to the individualistic- but also to the collectivist conception of education.

This article outlines a concept termed “creative relationships” which ultimately could be used as basic concept and discursive tool in entrepreneurship education. A specifying distinction between “creative co-operation” and “creative co-existence” is also tentatively introduced, and it is argued that both these aspects need to be recognized in the discourse. The concept “creative relationships” is built on a review and an analysis of three distinct relational conceptions of creativity; Hannah Arendt’s, Kenneth Gergen’s and Martin Buber’s. A main point of the analysis is that the concept of creativity, as well as its broader counterpart, entrepreneurship, is not comprehensible without recognizing its relational context. At the end of the article, the outlined concept is applied to the question of curriculum development in entrepreneurship education.

Relational competence has proven to be an important component in teacher professionalism. The overall purpose of this article is to adopt a social psychological perspective and discuss aspects of teachers’ relational competence. More specifically, the article aims to construct a theoretical concept for understanding the aspects of relational competence that concern regulating closeness and distance in the teacher-student relationship. In the concluding section, the result is presented in terms of “differentiation competence”. This concept labels a communication pattern characterized by fine-tuned regulation of closeness and distance in the teacher–student relationship and by ongoing coordination of verbal and nonverbal behavior. The emerging concept is illustrated by verbal and nonverbal communication in a classroom setting as portrayed in an episode from a fictional film, including detailed transcription, and interpretation.

Research reveals that teachers’ relational competence is crucial for successful education. However, the field is still small and largely unexplored, and arguably needs a better and more precise theoretical starting point. This article seeks to help establish such a starting point, aiming to outline a relational framework based on the philosophies of Nel Noddings and Martin Buber. It proposes a two-dimensional conception defining teachers’ relational competence as: i) an immanent phenomenon, implying that the teacher is directly involved in an interhuman relationship, with an attitude of natural care, and ii) a transcendent phenomenon, meaning that the teacher manages social relationships, with an attitude of ethical care. The article ends by discussing the practical implications of the work.

Teachers’ relational competence: A concept discussion, supported by Martin Buber’s concepts of “the social” and “the interhuman”. Current research and policy documents treat relational competence as an important part of teacher professionalism. Relational competence is generally understood as the ability to build respectful and trusting relationships with students and others. However, research in the field is scarce and theoretical discussions are rare. This article outlines a framework for understanding fundamental aspects of the concept. Buber’s (1990b) distinction between “the social” and “the interhuman” is adopted to provide theoretical support for the framework. Based on this distinction, I construct two forms of relational competence represented by the expressions “attitude to relationships” and “attitude in relationships”. The framework could be used as a “puzzle picture” (Asplund, 1991), i.e., a picture of one phenomenon that includes a picture of another, though the two pictures cannot be focused on simultaneously. The practical implications of the concept are addressed as well.

A growing body of research reveals that a supportive, positive teacher-student relationship isan important element of successful education. From a Nordic perspective, a lot of researchhas explored teachers´ relational competence as a central part of teacher professionalism.The discourse focuses on the concept of relationship, and thereby also on the quality ofcloseness, i.e. on a close connection between teacher and student. This article aims at contributingto the field by conceptualizing relational competence in terms of both closenessand distance. The discussion is supported by three theories, Martin Buber´s, ThomasZiehe´s and Gert Biesta´s, in which the relationship between the two poles is problematizedand elucidated. The article proposes that relational competence should be located in the interfacebetween closeness and distance, i.e. that it is rather is about developing a well differentiated-than a close relationship to the student.

This article makes a theoretical contribution to social psychology of education by applying Johan Asplund’s social psychological theory to the educational context. More specifically, the article discusses how the question of purpose of education (Biesta in Educ Assess Eval Account 21(1):33–46, 2009; God utbildning i mätningens tidevarv [Good education in the age of measurement]. Liber, Stockholm, 2011) could be conceived from Asplund’s (Det sociala livets elementära former. [The elementary forms of social life]. Bokförlaget Korpen, Göteborg, 1992) concept of “social responsivity”. Adopting Asplund’s concept, I problematize, discuss, and supplement Biesta’s model, especially his concept of “subjectification” and from here tentatively examine “existentialisation”. Existentialisation is proposed as a tool for understanding the overall meaning of education. To illustrate the theoretical argument, a brief classroom episode is analyzed in detail.

A growing body of international research demonstrates that supportive teacher–student relationships have multiple positive educational effects. In Scandinavia, the concept of relational competence is increasingly used to define the teacher’s ability to develop ‘good’ relationships. The overall purpose of this article is to contribute to the field by adopting an interactionist perspective. Drawing chiefly on T. Shibutani, but also on G.H. Mead and T. Scheff, the article aims to: (i) examine how the teacher–student relationship is constructed through nonverbal communication and (ii) discuss the implications regarding teachers’ relational competence in situated teaching. A detailed transcript of a classroom episode is interpreted and analysed using Shibutani’s concepts. The analysis reveals two parallel relational matrices, one ‘conventional’ and the other ‘interpersonal’. In the concluding section, it is argued that the relationship between the two matrices plays an important role in understanding teachers’ relational competence: the relationally competent teacher takes responsibility for his/her own actions, both as an educator in a conventional system and as a fellow being in an interpersonal system. Expressed differently, relational incompetence means overemphasizing one system at the expense of the other.

We examine pre-service teachers’ theoretical learning during one five-week training module, and their educators’ learning about better lecture design to foster student learning. The study is iterative: interventions (one per group) were implemented sequentially in student groups A–C, the results of the previous intervention serving as the baseline for the design developed for the next. These learning study participants, 79 students from year three of a teacher training programme, studied the variation theory (VT) of learning. Three lesson cycles were completed, each comprising four steps: (1) a pre-test, (2) a 15-min intervention discussing VT, (3) a post-test and (4) a delayed post-test conducted eight weeks later. The results indicated learning differences between groups; qualitative analysis identified three categories of student answers, i.e. emergent, premature and unaware, regarding their theoretical understanding. Group C had more students with emergent knowledge (36%) than did groups A (20%) or B (17%) at post-testing.

In conclusion it is argued that the notion of the nuclear family has being a narrow and short-sighted family notion. in a longer time perspective, we have to try out a broader family notion where circles of families, network families and linked family systems can be fruitful. these family notions include the generative aspect - in which parents always will be parents even though they become grandparents and great grandparents - as well as the fact that families are reformed as the child comes into existence and during its childhood. this was reality for more than one third of the children in the study. as people live longer and are increasingly socially mobile, we can no longer reliably use a family notion that does not take into account the fact that family lives both change and last over time.

Interviews from 700 adoptive families that have been followed during a decade will be presented. The identity processes and the health of adoptees, the adoptees´ parents and the adoptees´ families will be discussed in the frame of exclusion and xenophobia processes. The results that emerge are that the sense of loss and sadness for adoptees generally are not at all related to the loss of biological inheritance or the biological family. Rather, it is the loss of the emotional and / or practical attachments to the current life, nationality, family and civil society in the new context that is important. The narratives shared by the adoptees are that they have been reduced to skincolour or biological origin and not as human beings. Thus there is a gap between the individual apprehension of identity and belonging and the social counterpart.

Social outcomes of education: concept and measurement2014In: Social outcomes of education: the assessment of social outcomes and school improvement through school inspections / [ed] Anne Bert Dijkstra & Per Ingvar de la Motte, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2014, 29-49 p.Chapter in book (Other academic)

All students in Swedish upper secondary school have to do one mandatory project work course aimed at developing general skills such as independence, initiative, creativity and imagination. The students have to pass the course to receive their upper secondary diploma. Our study aims to investigate how students talk about the task of doing ‘independent’ project works in the diploma course.

Three focus group conversations of totaling twelve students are filmed and analyzed through topic analysis, an analytical approach based on dialogism as theoretical framework. The empirical material is analyzed from a perspective of how the design of the project course and the assessment regime influences the students work. Findings indicate that the students rely heavily on help and instruction from the teacher. They perceive of this help as a crucial asset in passing the diploma course. They state that the kind of help they receive are strongly focused towards the dividing line between pass and fail. Help is hardwired towards the scientific form and the content of their essays are treated as almost uninteresting. Support for independence therefore seems to be significantly restricted in practice. The teacher is in fact working as a facilitator guiding students towards dependence. This is accomplished through framing doing project work as doing template science.

All students in Swedish upper secondary school have to do one mandatory project work course aimed at developing general skills such as independence, initiative, creativity and imagination. The students have to pass the course to receive their upper secondary diploma. Our study aims to investigate how students talk about the task of doing ‘independent’ project works in the diploma course.

Three focus group conversations of totaling twelve students are filmed and analyzed through topic analysis, an analytical approach based on dialogism as theoretical framework. The empirical material is analyzed from a perspective of how the design of the project course and the assessment regime influences the students work. Findings indicate that the students rely heavily on help and instruction from the teacher. They perceive of this help as a crucial asset in passing the diploma course. They state that the kind of help they receive are strongly focused towards the dividing line between pass and fail. Help is hardwired towards the scientific form and the content of their essays are treated as almost uninteresting. Support for independence therefore seems to be significantly restricted in practice. The teacher is in fact working as a facilitator guiding students towards dependence. This is accomplished through framing doing project work as doing template science.

Unauthorized absence from school, commonly labelled truancy, absenteeism, and dropout, is a problem that has been increasingly noted in recent years by the National Agency for Education, county councils, communities, and media in Sweden. It is also a prioritized issue in Europe and worldwide. Many students leave school without credentials or a compulsory-school leaving certificate; this is believed to have consequences for the individual as well as for society. Elementary education is regarded of importance for the welfare of the individual, his or her future, potential employment opportunities, and as a measure against criminality, drug misuse, and social exclusion. From a societal perspective, elementary education is perceived to be crucial for future work and development in society, as well as a prerequisite for democracy. What encourages school attendance and prevents unauthorized school absence? This article presents a review of the results and recommendations of 155 research reports focusing on absence prevention and school attendance. The review points to the need for an outspoken and elaborate shift in perspective from a focus on individual characteristics and individually related factors to the responsibility of the school and the community. Forces that draw students to school are a feeling of school success reached by strengthening core competencies, the possibility of bonding with adults, and a school climate that students deem positive.

The study is a discourse analytical study on the creation of the meaning of children in need of special support in school health service. The purpose of the study is to find the creation of meaning that takes place around the concept of children in need of special support in a social practice such as student health service. The study focuses on the statements claiming the truth in what contexts they are incorporated. In addition, the purpose is also is to make the prevailing discourses in student health service visible and to define the existing power relationships. The respondents for this study are professionals in a student health team in a preschool/elementary school, and the team is operating in grades 7-9. The team contains two special education teachers, school counselor, psychologist, school nurse, guidance counselor and it is leaded by the principal. The results have been analyzed based on a stepwise process from the level of detail to an overall structure in four steps. The results show that the creation of meaning of children in need of special support can be divided into four discourses: models of explanation for deviation, to be treated, preparation for action, and ‘we and the others’. The discourses overlap each other and are interdependent, are flowing and breaking into each other and thus influencing each other. The joint construct of discourses are how the child should be normalized to what constitutes the norm. These discourses are therefore interdependent and affect the creation of meaning of children in need of special support. The discourse ‘we and the others’ also exerts on a normalizing effect on the student, through the power given the student health professionals in defining the difference, and thus being considered having the answers, while those being outside are in need of the answers in order to be able to treat the student. The official power consists of educational policy directives, in the form of policy documents and legal texts, and hence defining the norm. ,

The Swedish school system offers curriculum-based early childhood education (ECE) organised as preschool (for 0–5-year-olds) and preschool class (for 6-year-olds). The intention to create a playful and educational environment based on children’s perspectives, interests, and questions is strongly based on historical and cultural traditions. This article develops knowledge of ECE teachers’ approaches to science-learning situations. The study applies a phenomenographic approach. The analysis is based on approximately 9.5 hours of video documentation of teacher-led and child-initiated Swedish ECE science activities. We identified two descriptive categories and four subcategories dealing with science-learning situations: (A) making anything visible, containing the three subcategories (Aa) addressing everyone, (Ab) addressing everything, and (Ac) addressing play and fantasy; and (B) creating a shared space for learning (Ba) addressing common content. These categories are related to how efforts to take advantage of children’s perspectives are interpreted and addressed in educational practice. The article discusses and exemplifies the use of various categories and their potential implications for ECE learning practice.

This thesis takes as one point of departure the concept of the expanded curriculum where curricula encompass both the formal steering documents, as well as that which goes on within the framework of preschool education and through the actors in preschools. The overarching purpose is therefore to generate knowledge about what conditions for learning the work of teachers make possible when curricula are created in preschool settings for children aged between 1 and 3. The purpose is also to contribute with knowledge about what these created curricula would mean for children’s agency, and the importance they can have for children’s opportunities for learning and development. The three empirical studies consist of digitally recorded interviews with teachers and video observations with a focus on teachers’ communication with children in preschool. The discussion in the overarching text is constructed around three aspects that emerge in the overall results of the studies. First, the studies reveal how teachers’ work can be likened to a limiting curriculum which, on the one hand, is entirely child-centered, with the children as seen actors, but, on the other, can be interpreted as entirely teacher-centered. Secondly, there is the discussion about the affirmative curriculum, where children are presented as affirmed actors. In other words, content becomes those things that children are interested in, and their modes of expression are seen, affirmed and often repeated. Finally there is the discussion about the possibilities and dilemmas related to an expanding curriculum where children are regarded and treated as real actors in the sense that their intentions and expressions are taken seriously as relevant challenges. The current curriculum text for Swedish preschool can, in this sense, be seen as an obstacle in that its formulations are extremely broad-based, as discussed related to the results of this thesis.